Wash. Times STILL Complaining About Not Seeing Bin Laden's Body

In a November 9 Washington Timescolumn titled, "Body of Evidence; Americans need proof of dead villain like Libyans were given," assistant editorial page editor Anneke Green criticized the Obama administration for not releasing photos or video of Osama bin Laden's body, writing that "[f]amilies of the victims of bin Laden's atrocities have to take the government's word for it that he's actually dead because the Obama administration continues to refuse to provide proof." From the Times:

Five days after being killed, Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was finally buried at dawn in an undisclosed location in the Sahara desert. This would have been five days too late had President Obama been calling the shots. Osama bin Laden's remains were famously disposed of within hours of his death and "eased into the sea" in conformance with Islamic practice, according to the White House. Families of the victims of bin Laden's atrocities have to take the government's word for it that he's actually dead because the Obama administration continues to refuse to provide proof.

To date, no photos or video of bin Laden's body have been released despite numerous requests and a lawsuit filed by watchdog groupJudicial Watch. The Obama administration made clear in a recent response to the lawsuit that presidential preference is the driving force behind its stonewalling. Oddly for a legal brief, its very first background point of reference quoted a transcript of an interview Mr. Obama gave to "60 Minutes": "It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence." The brief additionally fretted, "The mere release of these images of Osama bin Laden could be interpreted as a deliberate attempt by the United States to humiliate the late al Qaeda leader."

That's political rather than legal reasoning, Tom Fitton, president ofJudicial Watch, told The Washington Times. "It fits in with the American apology tour. He thinks America shouldn't be documenting its victory." This president acts as if giving Americans a chance for closure through viewing the terrorist's remains is too triumphalist - as if it's poor form to celebrate victory over evil. Such meekness misses the point. It's human nature to need the resolution provided by viewing a corpse.